


Call Me, Maybe

by miss_grey



Series: What We Do In The Dark [4]
Category: Band of Brothers
Genre: M/M, Slow Burn, Stalking, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Unresolved Sexual Tension, hunter carwood lipton, hunter dick winters, vampire lewis nixon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-23
Updated: 2019-05-23
Packaged: 2020-03-10 00:32:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,140
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18927661
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miss_grey/pseuds/miss_grey
Summary: Someone may or may not have put a hit out on Carwood Lipton's life.  Personally, Carwood would feel a lot better if he knew he wasn't being stalked by a demon.  Dick insists it's just the vampire, Nix, trying to get into their heads.  Carwood's not so sure.





	Call Me, Maybe

**Author's Note:**

> This is so much fun. I hope you're all enjoying this as much as I am. :)

 

 

 

Carwood Lipton took a deep breath of clean, early morning air, and leaned back in his chair.  The wood of the porch creaked slightly underneath him, but it was one of the only sounds.  Occasionally, at the edge of the tree line, he’d hear the sound of a bird chirp, already ahead of the game, as the dark blues of the sky began to transition to turquoise, and just over the horizon, near the tips of the still-dark trees, pink and gold emerged.

Somewhere out there was an assassin who was out to get him.  Despite his profession, it still took Carwood by surprise.  Not because he doubted it could happen, but mostly because right now, everything was peaceful, and his life was good, despite what Carwood knew lurked in the shadows.  Still, the folder lying on the bedside table of Dick’s guest room said otherwise.

Ever since the vampire had delivered the information a couple days ago, Carwood had been thinking about it.  There were pieces missing.  The file suggested that the hit had originated with the Chicago coven, which, given Carwood’s history with them, wouldn’t be surprising at all.  Payment wasn’t mentioned—Carwood had no idea what these monsters had decided his life was worth, but he’d be curious to know since apparently they thought he was enough of a threat they’d felt the need to take this step.  And finally, several rumors suggested that it was a demon who had taken the contract, but there was no additional information.  It was this bit that gave him pause.  A demon.  Carwood had come across a good many beings in his three years as a hunter, but he’d never encountered a demon.  All he’d heard were whispers.  Stories.  Everyone said they couldn’t be killed, and they took souls as payment for their deeds.

Carwood shuddered.  His soul.  He’d never given it too much thought before, but he supposed he should probably start.

 

 

 

Inside, Carwood found Dick frowning over the morning newspaper while he had some eggs and coffee.  He glanced up, briefly, as Carwood entered.  “There’s more on the stove if you’re hungry.”

Carwood nodded and helped himself to a plate.  “Thanks.”

“You were up early.” Dick commented as Carwood sat across from him at the small kitchen table.

Carwood took a large bite of egg to give himself a moment before he swallowed and said “Yep.  Had a lot to think about.”

Dick met his eyes over his paper, then folded it and set it aside.  “You know, we don’t even know if any of that information is true.  The source isn’t exactly trustworthy.”

Carwood snorted.  “Fair enough, but why would he come all the way out here to tell us this if it isn’t true?”

Dick rolled his eyes.  “To mess with us, obviously.  Psychological warfare.  Throw us off our game.  Why would he bother if it _is_ true?”

Carwood took a sip of his coffee, managed a small smile, then said “I think he just likes you.”

Dick thumped his own coffee down harder than necessary.  “That is insane.  He’s a vampire.  I’m a hunter.”

Carwood shook his head, laughing.  “He does seem to be a bit of a masochist, though.  And honestly, he’s either playing a really long game here, or he is as pathetic as you originally thought.  He keeps saying he has no friends, he’s obviously bored, and you apparently interest him.”

“No.”  Dick said, firmly.  “He’s just trying to gain our trust.  I don’t know why, but it won’t work.”

“Alright,” Carwood said, though he definitely didn’t agree with Dick.  He’d seen the way the vampire behaved around him on all three occasions, and he was pretty sure the poor, undead bastard was just smitten with Dick.  Still, Carwood heaved a sigh and said “Even discounting who the information came from, I still think it’s legitimate.  The Chicago coven has good reason to hate me.”

Dick’s face softened for a moment.  “So what do you want to do about it?”

Carwood shrugged.  “I don’t know what to do, exactly.  I mean, I’m not going to hide out and hope some demon doesn’t find me.  I want to keep doing what we’re doing, and if it happens to come up, we’ll deal with it.  But I think I’d like to ask Harry to keep an ear out for any more information.  I mean, I’m resigned to the dangers of the job, but I’m not ready to die.  Not for…this.”  He forced himself to remain calm when he said “And then there’s the matter of the payment.  If it is a demon….”

Dick shook his head.  “No.  We’ve never come across one, and we can’t trust this intel.”

“But if it’s true….”

“Your soul is safe, Lip.”  Dick insisted.  “We’ll make sure of it.”

Carwood nodded.  “Alright.”  And then he went back to his breakfast, but he couldn’t stop thinking about it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

At a salt and burn an hour outside of Pittsburgh, just a couple days after their conversation, Carwood first noticed the shadow.  He’d just hauled himself out of the house and threw the matches into the pit with the bones, before he collapsed, his ankle failing him and ribs aching.  Inside, he heard the shriek of the murderous female ghost, and then Dick’s triumphant shout.  Relieved that his partner wasn’t about to die, Carwood allowed himself to rest on the damp earth of the abandoned farm.  He gave himself a moment, panting to catch his breath, as his ribs protested.  _Fuck,_ he hoped it was just bruised, and not broken.  He didn’t have such high hopes for his ankle.  Still, for the moment, he was content to breath, relieved that the immediate danger was over.  He lay back on the wet grass, and, upside down, turned his gaze casually toward the tree line, then nearly had a heart attack when he saw a shadow move at its edge and disappear into the darkness.  Carwood flipped over for a better look, but by then whatever had been there was gone.

After Dick had helped Carwood to hobble into the car and they were on their way back to Dick’s house, Carwood mentioned the shadow he’d seen.

Dick cast him a brief look out of the corner of his eye, cleared his throat, and said “It was probably the vampire.  Stalking us.”

Carwood raised a brow and had to fight back a grin, even through the pain.  “The vampire?  You mean Nix?”

Dick huffed, determinedly not smiling.  “The vampire.”

 

* * *

 

 

Carwood had two cracked ribs and a sprained ankle.  Not too bad, but enough to lay him up for a couple weeks, Dick and Harry’s orders.  He didn’t mind too much, though, because it meant he got a chance to do some reading he rarely had time for anymore, and the early spring air smelled fabulous at Dick’s farmhouse.  The guest room— _YOUR room, Lip_ —was comfortable and safe and overall, the situation could have been much worse.  In the early morning hours, Carwood limped out onto the porch with his coffee and watched as the sun rose over the forest.  In the evening, he helped Dick cook dinner, and they both relaxed with a book before bed.  It was nice.  Relaxing.

 

* * *

 

 

The first day back on the job, it happened again.  A shifter case, outside of Philly, where Carwood froze up suddenly and almost had his head taken off as a result.  At the last minute, he managed to dodge and plunge a silver stake right into the creature’s heart.

He was still shaking when Dick found him, sitting against the wall, knees to his chest, looking at the body of the shifter laid out before him.  “Oh, hell,” Dick said, as he crouched in front of Carwood.  “You okay, Lip?”

“Yeah, I’m fine.”  Carwood insisted, though he had to wipe a tear from the corner of his eye.  “I’m fine.”

“I should’ve realized the shifter case would be tough on you.”

“I’m fine, Dick.  Really.”  And he was, he would be.  Everyone had a past, after all.  He opened his mouth to suggest they leave the scene before the police showed up, when, over Dick’s shoulder, he saw a shadow move.  “Dick,” he gasped, pointing, “it’s here again!”

Dick spun, just as the shadow melted into an alleyway between two warehouses.

Dick growled in frustration.  “I’ll deal with that stalking vampire, Lip, don’t worry about it.”

Carwood nodded, but he did.  Worry about it, that is.

 

 

 

Carwood drove back to the house, insisting because he needed to focus and driving gave him something to do.  His hands had already stopped shaking.  In the passenger seat, Dick was on the phone to Harry, demanding information on the vampire known as Lewis Nixon.  Harry said it’d take a while, but he’d get on the case.  Dick was less than pleased, but there was nothing else for it.

 

 

* * *

 

 

The problem was definitely not Lewis Nixon.

A couple days after the shifter incident, Harry came up with a phone number to reach the vampire.  Dick smirked, a triumphant gleam in his eye, as he hung up with Harry.  “I’ve got it, Lip!  Now I’ll put an end to this.”

Carwood nodded and moved out onto the porch, calling “I’ll give you some privacy!”

 

 

 

Inside the living room, Dick frantically punched in the number Harry had given him, then began to pace.  The phone rang twice before a groggy voice picked up—Dick hadn’t considered that the sun wasn’t even down yet.  “Nix,” the sleep-roughened voice muttered, “who’s this?”

“Where are you?”  Dick demanded.

The line was quiet for a beat, then a much perkier voice asked “Red, is that you?”

“It’s Dick.  Where are you?”

Nix sounded very confused, but overjoyed regardless.  “Well, I’m at home, lying in bed.  Why, did I miss a date?  Let me know where you’re at, handsome, and I promise I’ll get there as quick as I can.”

Dick growled and fought hard against the encroaching blush.  “Don’t play games with me.”

“Games?”  Nix chuckled.  “Wanna know what I’m wearing?  Are you a leather or silk kinda guy?”

“Nix,” Dick snarled, and that shut the vampire up.  “I mean it.  No games.  Where are you?”

The line was quiet for a moment, with only the sound of Nix’s soft breathing.  Then he said, very patiently “I’m at home, Dick.  You woke me up.”

Dick was about to respond when Lip’s frantic waving caught his attention through the window.  Dick marched over to the door to see what was wrong, and Lip hissed “Dick, it’s here!  The shadow’s here—right at the tree line!”

And as Dick squinted, he could see it, the tall, dark form of a man, moving just at the edge of the forest.  Dick forced his heart to calm and he spoke into the phone again.  “You said you’re at home.  Prove it.”

“How?”

“Video call.  Do you have it?  Put it on.”

“My pleasure, Red.”  A moment later, a video popped up on Dick’s screen.  It was a messy haired Lewis Nixon, spread out on a tangle of sheets and pillows, pale skin gleaming against the red sheets, chest bare.  Dick’s mouth went dry.  Nix smirked up at his phone.  “Good to see you, Dick.”  He murmured.  “We should make a habit of this.”  Nix ran a hand through the strands of his dark hair and shifted minutely, his lean muscles rippling.  “This is by far the best way to wake up.”

“It’s not you,” Dick breathed, eyes flickering back and forth between the phone and the tree line where the shadow had disappeared to.

“What’s not?” 

“The shadow.  It’s been following us for days, maybe weeks now.”

“What?!”  Nix sat up, suddenly, the sheets slithering off of his body.   “Why didn’t you say anything?  Do you have wards up?”

Dick gritted his teeth.  “We didn’t say anything because I thought it was you!”

“Me?”

“Yes, you, following us.  It wouldn’t be the first time you just showed up.”

“I told you there was a demon assassin after your partner and you didn’t consider this might be that?”

“I thought you were lying!”  Dick hissed.

“Well, I wasn’t!”  Nix insisted.  Then, “Tell me where you’re at, and I’ll come help you.  The sun is going down.”

“I’ve gotta go.”  Dick said.

“Dick, wait!”  Nix protested, just before Dick hung up.

Neither Dick nor Lip could seem to take their eyes away from the forest as night descended upon them and the shadows grew longer.  “We should go inside.”  Dick finally muttered.  “It’s safer there.  We can reinforce the wards around the house and property in the morning.  And call Harry.  Find out everything he knows about demons.”

“Right.”  Lip said, but he had a difficult time tearing his eyes away from the trees as they moved inside.

**Author's Note:**

> Comments give me life. Please let me know what you think! Also, feel free to come find me on tumblr. I'm @realhunterswearplaid.


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